International Solidarity Movement

West Bank: record amount of land stolen by Israel. More acres annexed since Oct. 7 than in 30 years

Beit Lid – North West Bank

“Since October 7, while all eyes are on Gaza where they are destroying everything, the Israelis have seized the highest number of dunams ever here in the West Bank. “In one year they declared more hectares as ‘Israeli land’ than they had ever declared in the past 30 years,” says R., looking at the new outpost rising in front of us in Beit Lid. “If Western states continue to fund and legitimize Israel, maybe they really will try to annex the whole West Bank.” He shakes his head. “In addition to the land they take, you have to count all the roads they block, and the lands you no longer have access to because are close to the new Israeli settlements.” A demand, a silent shout that resonates ever more clearly from north to south in the West Bank, where Israel is waging a full-fledged war of annexation, consisting of record land seizures, destruction of Palestinian homes, and a flood of funds for illegal colonies already springing up on Palestinian land.

R.’s extended family welcomes us among the olive trees in the small village of 5,600 inhabitants located between Tulkarem and Nablus in the northern West Bank. They serve us tea first, then coffee, in the tradition of deep welcome typical of Palestinians. There are six farmers gathered to meet us. “There it is, you see? That is the new Abu Jamrah outpost, which will enlarge the Einav colony. They stole 30 dunams of land from us to build it.” In front of us, on the hill opposite, caravans and prefabs, a communications antenna, cars and vehicles. “Since October 7, the Israeli Authority has started expanding its settlements in the Palestinian territories. This is just one example. In recent months here in Tulkarem province alone they have built 4 more outposts: Qaffin, Shweikeh, Avni Hevets (shouffeh) and Jbara. They are taking more and more land, in everyone’s silence,” says R. Hundreds of meters as the crow flies from the outpost, in the middle of the vegetation, a large Israeli flag flies. “They want to go all the way there. As always, they have no right to it. That land belonged to my grandfather’s family.” In the area around Tulkarem, the Israelis are not even issuing agreements to access even a few days’ worth of land: it is a collective punishment for the entire population of the village, considered the “cradle” of resistance, they say. “This year they prevented us from harvesting about 2,000 olive trees,” R. says again, on behalf of everyone. A big blow to the already difficult family economies during this time of war. “The settlers even tried to steal our donkeys, but they couldn’t do it.”

The story of R.’s family is the story of now more and more Palestinians, who since Oct. 7 are experiencing even more harassment, violence, and land theft than since the beginning of the 1967 occupation.

According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israel has confiscated 52,000 dunams in one year (1 dunams=1000 square meters, 1/10th of a hectare). This is a huge number, compounded by the new annexations declared in recent weeks. In fact, in a single day, Finance Minister Bazalel Smotrich announced the confiscation of 24,000 dunams declaring them “state lands.” This is the largest confiscation ever, covering more than half of the hectares Israel has taken since the Oslo Accords in 1993. Added to it are the 25,000 dunams that were confiscated under the pretext of changing the boundaries of nature reserves, plus the 1,233 dunams confiscated for “military purposes.” Israel’s “practice” of self-declared “state” lands had been discontinued in 1992, until Netanyhahu’s first government resurrected it in 1998. Since then, until Oct. 7, 2023, confiscations had been periodic until reaching the figure of 40 thousand dunams.

Instead, over the past 14 months, it seems that the government has been racing in grabbing as much land as possible. The goal is clear, and the various ministers in Tel Aviv have openly stated it: to create corridors between settlements, build new ones, annex the West Bank and thus fight attempts to build a Palestinian state. A goal Israel has always had, but it is experiencing an unprecedented acceleration. “2025 will be the year of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich wrote on X, using the name Israel gives to this part of Palestine. Ministers in Tel Aviv want to take advantage of Trump’s presidency, and perhaps the now clear international inaction, to carry out one of their plans for the creation of Greater Israel: the disappearance of the West Bank as such. Starting with the already announced divestment of the Civil Administration in the West Bank and the transfer of its powers directly into the hands of Israeli ministries.

According to the Israeli organization PeaceNow there are at least 43 new outposts built since October 7 throughout the region, and 5 new colonies. 70 outposts – illegal under Israeli law itself – legalized, plus 3 others that have been designated “neighborhoods” of nearby colonies. New settlements also legalized inside the city of Hebron. Settlement of the territory is also taking place thanks to the dozens of kilometers of roads to connect the settlements that have been approved, with funding of more than 7 billion shekels. About 450 million furthermore the shekels promised for “projects” in the settlements and outposts to encourage the arrival of new settlers.

While Palestinians are effectively prevented from building new homes, thanks in part to the definition of many lands as “military zones” or “nature reserves,” the Tel Aviv government has authorized the construction of 8,861 new housing units in the colonies. Simultaneously through settler and military violence, there are at least 277 Palestinian families (about 1630 individuals) and between 19 and 28 entire Bedouin communities that have been forced off their land. Threats, fires, theft of livestock, sabotage to livelihoods and violence of various kinds have indeed escalated in many areas of the West Bank (while this was already the norm in many areas even before Oct 7). Especially since Israel has given the settlers a green light and given them thousands of weapons, effectively promising impunity for their actions. There have been 16,663 attacks on Palestinian land and property since Oct. 7.

At least 900 homes have been demolished, not counting the hundreds and hundreds of homes destroyed in military raids on camps in Jenin, Tulkarem, Tubas and Nablus.
The West Bank is undergoing an unprecedented direct attack. On Dec. 15, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates also expressed deep concern over Israel’s recent escalation of unilateral and illegal actions in the occupied West Bank aimed at “intensifying and expanding ethnic cleansing and gradual annexation.” He called on the international community to implement its resolutions, particularly U.N. Security Council Resolution 2735 and the U.N. General Assembly decision adopting the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.
“Resolving the Palestinian issue and ending the occupation is the only way to achieve security, stability and prosperity for the region and the world,” he reiterated. In the hope that someone will act.

Twelve martyrs in Jenin camp in less than 20 hours

Jenin — West Bank – By Diana Khwaelid

The Israeli occupation forces are seriously escalating in the West Bank, in particular in its Northern regions. In the Jenin camp, an Israeli aerial bombardment targeted six Palestinians including three brothers, and a child no older than 15.

On the evening of Tuesday, January 14th, an Israeli military aircraft carried out an aerial bombardment in the center of the Jenin camp in the northern West Bank, killing six Palestinians and wounding at least eight more with moderate injuries. At the time of the bombing, the residents of the camp described a state of horror and fear. One Palestinian eyewitness said: “We saw the bodies of Palestinians lying on the ground among the dead and wounded, with bare blood everywhere.”

A Palestinian woman is walking through a street, supported by a man and a woman holding her by the arms and a few other people around. Her hijab is stained with blood. — The mother of the three martyred brothers grieves her sons

In contradiction with their own communications, Israel is continuously targeting Palestinian civilians in the North of the West Bank — regardless of age, gender, background. The situation of escalating campaigns of military operations in the northern West Bank mirrors the war crimes we continue to witness in Gaza.

A Palestinian woman in the middle of a crowd is closing her eyes and holding her hand to her mouth in pain. — Farewell to the martyrs

The situation in the camp is unstable due to the recent Israeli military incursions, including the destruction and bulldozing of streets and infrastructure, the destruction of houses and shops, and the cutting of electricity and water lines. Dozens of Palestinian families have left the camp, especially those who have lost their homes. Many still remain, rejecting the idea of abandoning and living away from their place of origin.

In a street, two Palestinian men are standing looking at the ground, on which a red stain is visible amongst water sprayed to clean. — Two men contemplate the the site of the airstrike where martyrs were killed

According to residents, the bombing happened a few meters away from the house of the three brothers who were killed, who are from the Abu Al-Hijaa family, one of the most well-known and largest families in the camp. They were sitting near their house alongside friends and neighbours.

The martyrs’ names are 15-year-old Mahmoud Gharbiya, 28-year-old Mo’min Abu al-Hijaa, 27-year-old Amir Abu al-Hijaa, 34-year-old Hossam Qanouh, 23-year-old Ibrahim Qaneri, and 33-year-old Baha Abu al-Hijaa.

A crowd of Palestinian men around six bodies wrapped in Palestinian flags carried high on stretchers at the centre of the crowd. Some men are filming on their phones, many others raise their hand with a peace sign. — A crowd assembles at the funeral of the six Tuesday martyrs.

Before their blood could dry in the streets of Jenin, on Wednesday evening, January 15th, the Israeli military committed another crime in the Al- Dumaj Neighborhood of the camp, in which six more Palestinians were killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

A man, a woman and a boy are standing by a wall, looking defeated. The woman is leaning on the wall, the man is holding his head in his hands. — A Palestinian family in pain residing in the Jenin camp

The number of martyrs in the West Bank since October 7 has reached 858, including 237 in Jenin. The city of Jenin has the highest number of martyrs in the West Bank.

Israel Targets Palestinian Youth in the West Bank

Nablus – West Bank By: Diana Khwaelid

What will happen to the next generation of youth if Israel continues to target and kill Palestinian children?

The Palestinian people are enduring a difficult period, one that mirrors the challenges faced during the First and Second Intifadas, perhaps even more so. This struggle has only intensified since Israel launched its war of annihilation on Gaza on October 7, which continues to this day. Gaza has been reduced to a wasteland, unfit for human habitation. Meanwhile, the West Bank remains in a state of anticipation. Though the West Bank’s various cities, villages, and refugee camps have already provided dozens of martyrs, prisoners, and the wounded, Israel’s escalation of its operations threatens to turn the West Bank into yet another devastated area.

*Nablus* In the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli occupation forces launched several incursions. Within less than a week, they stormed refugee camps twice, resulting in the deaths of two Palestinians.

The first martyr, Mohammed Amer, an 18-year-old from Balata Camp, was shot dead by Israeli forces on January 4 during their raid of the camp. Mohammed was the sole male in his family, leaving behind seven sisters.

The second martyr, 17-year-old Moataz Al-Madani from Askar Camp, was also killed by Israeli forces on the night of January 6, during a raid in his camp. Today, the people of Askar mourned his death, chanting slogans of anger, revenge, and resistance.

*Israel’s Plan to Erase the Palestinian Refugee Issue* Israel’s campaign to dismantle Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank, particularly in the north, began nearly two years ago in early 2023. The campaign intensified in August 2024 under the name “Operation Summer Camps.” Israeli forces were stationed in refugee camps in Tulkarem, Nablus, Jenin, Tubas, Jericho, and Qalqilya.

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed, with Tulkarem and Jenin cities witnessing the highest number of martyrs, according to the Palestinian Health Organization. Refugee camps in Nablus, including Balata and Askar, have been frequent targets of Israeli occupation forces.

*Israel Opens War on the Palestinians* According to the Palestinian Health Department’s statistics, at least 94 martyrs have fallen in Nablus since the beginning of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The total number of martyrs in the West Bank has reached 838, of which 172 are children, 16 are women, and 12 are elderly. Furthermore, 179 bodies are being held by Israeli forces.

From the outset of the war in Gaza, Israel demonstrated that it makes no distinction between its targets—no one, whether young or old, male or female, is spared. This indiscriminate violence has been evident in both Gaza and the West Bank, creating a pervasive atmosphere of fear and insecurity among Palestinians. They no longer feel safe in their own homes. The ongoing state of tension, anxiety, and daily danger has become an inescapable reality for Palestinians living under occupation.

Saturday Settler Incursion in Al-Khalil

In the afternoon of December 28, six soldiers ushered a group of activists and journalists away from the usually bustling Bani Dar neighborhood in Al Khalil. This show of force came to no surprise. For over two decades, Occupation Forces have entirely cleared neighborhoods in the Old City within Al Khalil under the false pretenses of guided tours for illegal Israeli settlers.

Within a half hour, a group of around fifty soldiers assembled to guard the group of three dozen settlers. For the next hour, Palestinians were restricted from walking near the incursion, and almost all the shops in the Old City were forced to close.

The weekly settler and military incursion is a major disruption for Palestinians in the historic city. It is a demonstration of intimidation and harassment, a theatrical show of force with the intention to further dispossess local Palestinians. For the duration of the tour, the souq (market), the main economic infrastructure for Palestinians, especially since the closure of Shuhada Street, essentially becomes a closed military zone for settlers.

The tour, mostly in Hebrew and some English, spouts lies of a history discounting Palestinian existence. A false history is proselytized to the group of settlers, denying the years of well documented peaceful coexistence between different groups in the city prior to 1948, as well as the constant violence enacted on Palistinian lives since.

It seemed like the whole Palestinian neighbourhood closed their doors and held their breath for the duration of the march. A crowd assembled as the armed soldiers opened the settlement gate, and shepherded the tour safely back inside. Before closing the gates again, the soldier made a joke—another mockery to add to the intimidation. Slowly, some shops opened back up. People started using their beloved roads. Many, however, will always walk carefully, living in fear of the occupation that wants to remove them.

‘I’m still open’ – against the odds in al Khalil

December 30 – Al Khalil (Hebron)

By Birdie

This week has been a bad one for al Amal. Soldiers issued new threats to him, a souvenir-shop owner on the main drag in the Old City of Hebron (al Khalil), and his neighbours demanding that they close. And today, the mosque director refused to be searched when going through the checkpoint, and was beaten up by the military so badly he needed hospitalisation. Things are escalating for al Amal and the traders in the Old City. Again.
Al Amal’s shop is deep in the Old City – the beautiful Mamluk and Ottoman stone alleys that are the heart of many of Palestine’s ancient cities: Old Jerusalem, Nablus, Bethlehem and al Khalil. They are the souk – lined with stores which in reasonable times are bustling with life, leisure, and commerce. Al Amal’s store is within 100 metres of the holy place: the al Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, that contains the ostensible tombs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives. It might be considered a favourable location. Sadly, that proximity is not an advantage. Access to the holy place is only through a fearsome checkpoint, because it is in the fenced-off, gated, and heavily-guarded area of the Jewish settlement in Hebron.
The soldiers’ threats are new, but the experience is familiar to al Amal. His family’s shop has been forcibly closed and reopened more than once. They have had a shop in al Khalil for multiple generations. His grandfather started a souvenir and crafts shop in As-Sahle Street. It’s not there any more. There are no shops there any more. They were all closed and none of their previous owners can access them, because As-Sahle street is in the settlement. And no one who doesn’t live in the settlement – except tourists and those with special dispensation– is allowed in through the checkpoints that guard the self-imposed ghetto that is the settlement.
Back in 2000, al Amal tells me, during the intifada all the shops there were closed, more than 1,800. Reopening them was a real ordeal (in the face is settler harassment) and required permits and support from local authorities and international organisations, but after 7 October 2023, the closures were demanded again, this time for good. And the current, concrete checkpoint with its grey corridors of hell – all clanging metal gates, glassed-off inspection point, and electric cattle turnstiles was erected.
But Al Amal was not going to give up. Since the age of 10 he has been doing business in al Khalil, latterly working in the family shop to help support his five sisters and two brothers.
So earlier this year he opened a new, small boutique on this side of the checkpoint, selling quality fabrics, bags, and kuffiehs. And now the threat of forced closure is being replayed.
“Three or four soldiers came to the Old City and told us to close. I asked them why. There is no reason,” reports al Amal. “I told them, I want to see formal papers ordering the closure; you want to arrest me, arrest me! So the soldier pushed my table of goods back into the shop. I asked, What do you want from me?”
The next day, Thursday, the soldiers came back and again demanded, “From the checkpoint up to here, the shops must close.” That’s seven or eight more businesses to close.
The rumour is, I’m told, that they’re planning to move the checkpoint itself up the street to that corner, thus expanding the gated settlement further. In the meantime, the store holders are afraid, angry, and ever more insecure.
Al Amal is dismayed, but certain of his position. “I’m still open. I will keep resisting,” he says. For him keeping the shop open is not about making good money, it is more about making a stand against oppression and occupation and maintaining a presence in the place. “I was born here; I grew up here; this is my land. It’s a holy land for us.”
Business has actually been very bad. The war has kept tourists away, and this week’s harassment also keeps locals away, not wanting to be where trouble might catch up with them. But al Amal is not giving up. He urges me to tell people to come. “It’s safe,” he says. And for tourists that is true. The shopkeepers are desperate for the business.
Al Amal speaks for many of them when he says: “Even if there’s no business we have to keep the shop open.” Their presence here is about sumud: steadfastness. Existence is resistance. They are determined not to allow the occupation to humiliate and force Palestinian people to leave.